He initially trained as a teacher at St Patrick's College, Dublin.
He then completed a BA, HDip in Ed., and M Psych degree at University College Dublin.
In 1961, he helped to establish the Teachers’ Study Group which conducted the first survey of reading comprehension in Dublin primary schools.
[1] He was a founding member of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) of which he became president in 1975.
[2] He was joint author with Paul Andrews of the PSI policy document A Psychological Service for Schools (1975) and campaigned for many years for the establishment of a school psychological service.